Whether you're restoring an antique piece of furniture or repairing damage to a more recent piece, selecting an environmentally responsible company to do the refinishing is a great idea. Repairing the damaged furniture (rather than landfilling it and replacing it with a newly manufactured piece) is in itself an eco-friendly option, but how the work is done can make a difference as well. Here are three ways that a green refinishing company can help the Earth.
1. Non-toxic stripping agents
To avoid using paint thinner as a stripping agent, eco-friendly restoration projects often substitute sanding or specially formulated eco-friendly stripping agents. Disposing of hazardous substances is a big problem in America today, and using a non-toxic agent to strip off the old finish ensures that your furniture restoration doesn't contribute to this problem. In addition to being safer for you, your family, and your pets, non-toxic options are less of a hazard during manufacture and transport as well as during disposal. They're less likely to harm the environment later on as well as being less likely to cause health problems now.
2. Eco-friendly finish
The stains and finishes used during furniture restoration can also have an impact on the environment. Using finishes that emit fewer VOCs reduces air pollution and using more eco-friendly products (such as water-based stains instead of oil-based stains) can significantly reduce this impact. Reducing air pollution in your home is, once again, also healthier for you and your family.
3. Environmentally friendly business practices
In addition to using eco-friendly products, a truly eco-friendly company should also use business practices that minimize environmental impact, such as:
- Using hybrid or biodiesel-fueled vehicles
- Donating money to environmental efforts
- Using paperless billing to save trees
- Having a recycling program at their facility
- Offering educational resources on green living for customers
These practices aren't exclusive to a wood refinishing service, of course; any eco-friendly company can and should use practices such as these to reduce its ecological footprint. So when you're vetting a company, whether it's for furniture refurbishing or anything else, you should check to see what the company has done to green its business practices as well as checking to make sure that the actual services they perform for you are eco-friendly.
These are just three ways in which your professional wood refinishing services can help the environment if you choose an environmentally responsible company to perform the work.
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